Harry Potter and The Second War
by unolimbo
Summary: Harry gets an unexpected visitor....and his 6th year is going to be very, very different. its very safe until the end...then there is some definate pg material! HPCC oh yeah, no action til the end either... oh well! COMPLETED
1. an unexpected start

Hello, Fair people of the world! This is my first fanfiction. So please review it! I am also a great fan of punctuation.so if I use too much, please tell me! Disclaimer: I own nothing, except new characters, but I think I only have one in the entire story, so I basically own nothing but the plot.  
  
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"Remind me never to have a garden." Harry grumbled to his owl, Hedwig, as he dragged himself out of bed. Aunt Petunia was calling for him to come down and work. It was only his first day back, for god's sake!  
  
Harry spent the entire morning working in the garden. He was sweaty, dirty, and he was quite sure he was bloody from the stupid rose bush in the back yard.  
  
Just as he sat up to wipe is brow, he noticed three people walking up the sidewalk to the Dursley's house.  
  
His eyes widened as he recognised two of them; Professor Dumbledore, the headmaster at Hogwarts, and Professor McGonagall, his Transfiguration teacher, and head of his house, Gryffindor. He did not recognise the third person, as he or she had a black Hogwarts cloak and hood on.  
  
"Harry," Dumbledore said. "Come inside."  
  
Harry followed them inside, and Dumbledore started talking to Uncle Vernon.  
  
"Mr. Dursley, as I'm sure you know, Voldemort has returned. He is the one who killed Harry's parents, and he killed this student's parents just a short while ago. She found them when she came home from school yesterday. Normally, an orphan would go to her guardian stated in her parents will, but we have decided that it would be safest for her to come here, as this house is already being protected, and it might be good for her to be around Harry. Voldemort might be looking for her.  
  
"This is not an issue of choice, Mr. Dursley, she will be staying here. She is entering her final year at Hogwarts, so she will be staying here for only two summers. Goodbye, Mr. Dursley. Harry, I will see you two at school on September first. Please owl me if you cannot make the train. Goodbye."  
  
He and Professor McGonagall disappeared.  
  
Uncle Vernon's face was turning a darker shade of purple than Harry had ever seen. He looked like he was going to explode.  
  
"C'mon, I'll show you around." Harry muttered, and he grabbed her around the shoulders and led her up the stairs.  
  
He could hear Uncle Vernon screaming. "No funny business, or you're both gone!"  
  
Harry closed the door to his room and heard the girl start to cry.  
  
Harry sat down beside her. "Hey, it's going to be alright. Now, do I get to see who's under that hood?"  
  
She nodded and pulled back her hood. It took everything for Harry not to gasp. Cho Chang looked up at him. Her eyes had bags under them, and she was very pale. "My god, you haven't slept since school, have you?" He knew she probably hadn't eaten anything or stopped crying since then either.  
  
"Look, Cho, lay down and go to sleep. I am going to go shower, I'll be back in a moment."  
  
Ten minutes later, Harry walked back into the room. He hoped that Cho was asleep, as he was wearing only a towel.  
  
"Cho?" He whispered. No answer.  
  
He got dressed and sat down at his desk. He needed some one to write to, but who? He really wanted to write to Sirius, but that was impossible. He had died just a few months before.  
  
Harry couldn't write to Ron or Hermione; he didn't think it was right to tell other students about Cho until Cho was ready. He didn't know if Dumbledore would want to talk about it.  
  
He finally decided on Lupin. Lupin had known Sirius well, and he was very nice and understanding towards Harry.  
  
Dear Moony,  
  
I'm sorry to bother you, but I really needed some one to talk to. I really wanted to talk to Sirius, but I cannot. I decided you would be the best person to talk to. Professor Dumbledore brought a student to my house today. Her parents were killed by Voldemort. I don't really know why, and I don't know what to say. I don't want to tell Ron and Hermione unless she wants me to. It's not up to me. I guess I just need some advice. I also would like some information, if you can give it to me. What is going on at the Order? I need to know where we stand. Please help me.  
Thanks, Harry  
  
He tied the letter to Hedwig's leg, who gave him an affectionate hoot. "Thanks, Hedwig." Harry sighed as he watched her fly away. He knew Cho could either make his summer a lot better, or a lot worse.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Well, that was chapter one.. I hope you liked it! And to anyone who thinks I might have copied from them...I didn't! I wrote this about a month and a half ago, before I'd even heard of this site! I promise! 


	2. i can't think of a good name

Here it is.Chapter 2! Please please please please please review!!!!!! Tell me if I suck! Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot..and I read some fics with almost the same plot around yesterday..I promise, I'd written this in my notebook long before I read it here! It is original, I promise!  
  
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"Cho, wake up. You need to eat something." It was long past dinnertime; Cho had been sleeping since 11:30.  
  
Harry had not gotten out of his chores that afternoon. He had fixed the kitchen sink, washed the bathroom, cooked dinner, and done the dishes.  
  
After a few shakes, Cho stirred.  
  
She looked up at him. "Harry! Oh!"  
  
Harry was confused.hadn't she known he was here already?  
  
"Oh, Harry, I just zoned out completely, I don't remember anything since I found them, I didn't hear anything, or see anything, just my parents lying on the floor. I had no idea it was you!"  
  
She looked happy for a short second, Harry could see it in her eyes. But then it was gone.  
  
"Harry, I was so scared, I walked in, and they were just dead! They lay there on the floor, their eyes were still open, and they looked terrified. Only.at least I am with a friend, not someone like Malfoy, or someone."  
  
She started to cry. "Nothing is ever going to be the same."  
  
Harry looked her in the eye. "That's not true. School will be the same. Your friends will still love you; you will still have homework; you can still play quiddich. But your friends are most important. They are there for you. And if they aren't, if something ever happens, I want you to know I am here, okay? I know what you've been through, I've been through it too. I'm always here to talk, or listen, even if it is about something happy. Okay?"  
  
"Thank you, Harry."  
  
"Anytime."  
  
Harry actually felt good. He'd given an entire speech to Cho Chang without stuttering, he'd made friends with her, and she'd thanked him.  
  
He was just wondering where he was going to sleep when he heard a knock on the door.  
  
Before he could answer it, Dudley walked in. Or, as it wasn't really walking, Harry would say he waddled in.  
  
"Father says I am allowed to check her out, see if she's going to be trouble."  
  
He had a horrible smirk on his face.  
  
Harry sighed. "Fine. Dudley, Cho. Cho, Dudley."  
  
Cho looked quite scared, and Harry knew it was for Dudley was probably the largest human being she had ever seen. She finally mustered a weak hello.  
  
Dudley completely mistook the look on her face. "That's right. You'd better be scared, because if you get in my way.well, Harry will tell you how I treat him. That will give you a little taste of it!"  
  
Harry was shocked. "Dudley, you'd hit a girl?"  
  
"Anything for you, dear cousin." He smiled again and walked out the door.  
  
Harry closed the door and sat down beside Cho. He didn't want to have this conversation, but he knew he needed to, as Cho would have a horrible summer if he didn't.  
  
"Cho, I think there is some stuff you really need to know. I don't think the Dursley's will be that hard on you, I mean, compared to me, but I think this is important anyway.  
  
"Never mention magic, no matter what. They will probably kick us both out of the house if you do. If they tell you to do something, do it. If you don't know how, just ask me, I've probably done it before. Never, ever ask the Dursleys. Oh, and don't ever try to stand up for me."  
  
Harry was pacing around the room now. "Mr. Weasley tried that once, luckily, we were just leaving. You got that?"  
  
Cho nodded, but looked rather frightened. "It's not really that bad, I promise. My friends send me food, because Dudley's on a diet, which means I'm on a diet too. I get a lot of exercise, and loads of time to myself. Oh yeah, stay away from Dudley and his gang. They'll probably leave you alone violence wise, but they don't know how to act around a pretty face."  
  
Harry blushed. He hadn't meant to say that.  
  
Cho just smiled.  
* * * * *  
  
The rest of the month was not bad; Cho was given easy jobs by Aunt Petunia, like vacuuming, tidying, and doing dishes. The only problem was, this left Harry with the really hard jobs like painting the house, fixing things, and gardening.  
  
But Cho was nice about it. She always helped him when she finished her chores, which was nice.  
  
Harry and Cho were allowed outside more often, as Aunt Petunia often couldn't think of enough chores for them to do.  
  
Having two people also made avoiding Dudley and his gang much easier, as strategy was much better with two people.  
  
Nights were hard, especially since Harry insisted that Cho sleep on his bed, even when she tried to get him to take turns with her. Obviously, they had to share a room. Neither of them really minded, they just knocked before entering to make sure the other was decent.  
  
So really, only one thing was still bothering Harry: Voldemort. Voldemort had now torn apart another family, and Harry hoped with all his heart that he did not do it again.  
  
Something had to be done, and Harry knew that the one who had to do it was him, Harry Potter. The prophecy had said so.  
  
Harry spent all of his time thinking about it, and he even owled Ron and Hermione to ask them to look up on it, as they had more resources. He still hadn't told them about Cho.  
  
He had hoped his relationship with Cho would grow over the summer, and it did. Just not in the way Harry had hoped. They became best friends; they told each other everything.  
  
But they never got near a romantic relationship.  
  
Harry assumed either Cho wanted more time, or she just wasn't interested in him any more.  
  
Harry told her everything about his parents, Hogwarts, even Sirius. By the end, she knew more about him then Hermione and Ron, because she knew about his summer as well. She really seemed shocked at what he'd been through.  
  
She told him everything too. About Cedric, most of which she told him the year before, and about her parents, and her goals. But mostly about spending two years mourning.  
  
"Everyone is going to think I'm depressed or something." She said. "Two years in a row I'll have spent like this. Harry, I didn't tell you before, because I felt bad when you gave me that speech when I got here, but."  
  
She looked very serious. "Well, anyway, I don't have as many friends as you think. A lot of them didn't want to be around me when I wasn't fun any more. Some of them said I was silly for believing you that you-know-who had come back, and others said to be happier. But I couldn't. Suddenly, Marietta was my only friend, the only one who understood. But I think she hates me now, after what happened last year at the DA."  
  
Harry knew exactly what she was talking about. The year before, he and his friends had started a Defense Against the Dark Arts club, and Marietta had betrayed them and told Professor Umbridge. Cho had gotten mad, and they weren't speaking any more.  
  
'I don't have anyone to talk to." She started to cry. She hadn't cried very much all summer, she had done amazingly well.  
  
Harry knew this wasn't good.  
  
"Cho, you can talk to me, remember? I can always be your friend. My friends like you. Don't worry. There will always be people who like you, and there will always be people to talk to."  
  
Cho was still crying as they sat on the bed. Harry took her in his arms and hugged her. They sat there for a little while, with just the sounds of Cho's quiet sobs.  
  
"Harry?" "Yeah?" "Are you going to find You-Know-Who? Are you going to kill him?" "Yes Cho." "What if I lose you too? Then I'll have no one to talk to." "Don't worry, Cho. I'm not going to leave you. I'm destined to kill Voldemort, no matter what happens. But I also control some aspects of my future, and I'm not going anywhere."  
  
He kissed her on the forehead. "Good night, Cho."  
  
He lay on the floor facing the other direction.  
  
Cho put a hand to her forehead where Harry had kissed it.  
  
But Harry didn't see that.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
well, that was chapter 2. If any of you really like cliffhangers, don't read my stuff. I personally hate reading a story and finding out that the author isn't writing the rest of the story for like a month or something. It pisses me off. Oh, by the way, anyone not wanting 2 read it because of the rating, I rated it for violence that doesn't come in until around the second last chapter of part 1. Well, please review.I'm not adding the next chapter until I get, oh, say, five reviews. That should be easy!  
Emma (err...unolimbo) 


	3. Going home

Well, I lied. I really don't care how many review I get to post another chapter..but they do raise my self esteem. I'm sorry if this chapter is a little boring.I don't really know until I read it from my note book.lets see.no, its not bad. A little fluffy, but most of my stuff is anyway. Here goes!  
  
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The next day, Harry was woken up by a tapping on the window.  
  
Harry was just about to get up to make it stop when he heard Cho move.  
  
"Harry, it's for you."  
  
"Thanks." He said, and pulled the letter off the owl's leg.  
  
Dear Mr. Potter:  
  
I know you are sure that defeating You-Know-Who is your destiny. Professor Dumbledore believes it too, so you and Ms. Chang are to come to Hogwarts as soon as possible. Please send an owl if you cannot get here.  
  
Professor M. McGonagall  
Deputy Head Mistress  
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry  
  
"Cho! We get to go back to school early!"  
  
"When?" Cho asked. "Tomorrow! Today! As soon as possible!" Harry flopped onto the bed, nearly squashing Cho. She gave a little shriek and jumped out of the way, but smiled.  
  
Harry was so happy he could scream, too.  
  
That evening, they set off for Hogwarts. They had spent the day packing, listening to Uncle Vernon mutter "Good riddance" under his breath.  
  
"Thank you for having me, Mrs. Dursley." Cho said politely.  
  
Aunt Petunia squeezed her lips into a thin line. Her eyes were darting around to the neighboring houses, making sure none of the neighbors was watching as Harry and Cho mounted their brooms and Hedwig hovered beside Harry's head, hooting that she wanted to go.  
  
They pushed off the ground, and were flying far above the city.  
  
"How does it feel to be back on your broom?" Cho yelled to Harry, smiling.  
  
Harry almost did a loop the loop before he realized his trunk was tied to his broom. "Amazing!"  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Aah, Harry, Cho, good to see you. You are well I hope? Come, we have much to talk about!" Professor McGonagall looked as if she was trying to be friends with them. It was very strange.  
  
She rushed them into the Great Hall, where they were fed more food then they'd seen all summer.  
  
Harry looked at Cho and saw her picking at her food, looking like she was going to cry again.  
  
"What's wrong?" Harry asked, forgetting that his mouth was full.  
  
"Oh, it's just, well, this is my last year, and my parents won't see me graduate. They won't see me get my first job, or get married. They won't see me with children, or any of the other things parents are supposed to do."  
  
Her eyes got shiny, and Harry could see a few tears falling down her cheeks.  
  
"Cho, it's okay." That was all he could say. He couldn't say they would turn up, or that she would get over it. He had to be careful what he said, he didn't want her to hate him again.  
  
Harry was worried. This year was going to be hard on Cho, she wasn't going to have any friends in her house.  
  
Harry also thought about his year. He knew this was going to be a year to remember, not only for him. Voldemort was going to do a lot of damage, and this was the year Harry was going to bring him down.  
  
The next morning, Harry was to start his new lessons.  
  
"Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall was not trying to be friends anymore. "You will be taking a course on animagi, a course on apparation, and an advanced Defence Against the Dark Arts course. Oh yes, and you will be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts to the first, second, and third year students. If you are willing, of course."  
  
Harry stared at her. Him? Teaching a class? Impossible!  
  
"Please, Mr. Potter, close your mouth and answer me. Will you teach the class?"  
  
Harry finally managed to ask her why.  
  
"Well, Professor Dumbledore is teaching the course for the fourth to seventh year students, and he is a very busy man, as the headmaster. We couldn't find a new teacher. It seems that all the wizards and witches who would be qualified think the course is jinxed. Which is impossible, of course. You can't put a jinx on a classroom! It's preposterous! Anyway, Professor Dumbledore thought that you would be best to teach the course. You will drop all unnecessary courses, such as Divination and Astronomy, and you will teach your six classes first thing every morning. Do you understand?"  
  
"But Professor, I don't know how to teach!"  
  
"Harry," She looked serious, sad, almost. "You have been through so many experiences that make you fit to teach this course. We want these children to learn how to act around You-Know-Who, not pixies. They should be able to face their worst fear. You are one of the few people who have survived an encounter with You-Know-Who. We want to raise those numbers. That means that the only people qualified to teach this course right now are Dumbledore and you.  
  
"Besides, you could use some experience working. Yes, you have money in Gringotts, but that won't last forever, and you don't have anyone else to support you. Speaking of which, you will be paid a teachers wages for your work. Now, you'd better go start your lesson plan, you are not going to have very much time in the next few weeks!"  
  
She shooed him out of her office. Harry stood there, stunned. Him? A teacher? He wasn't even out of school! He wasn't good enough. But maybe he was. Dumbledore thought he was, and Harry trusted his judgement. That was good enough for Harry.  
  
He walked to the library, where he would find the books he wanted to use. Cho wsa there reading.  
  
"Hey, Harry! Done already?"  
  
Harry sat down beside her. He was still in shock. "They want me to teach a class. Defense Against the Dark Arts. For the first to third years."  
  
"Harry! That's amazing!"  
  
"Yeah, and they want me to take an advanced DADA course, an animagi course, AND an apparation course this summer, and every night when school starts. Oh, when school starts, don't tell any one, ok?"  
  
"Sure, as long as you don't tell anyone about my parents." She looked like she was going to cry again, but held herself back. Harry knew this was a big step, and smiled at her.  
  
Harry spent the rest of the summer reading in the library, playing quiddich, or working on his lessons. They had no curfew, which was good. They went up to the astronomy tower almost every night and looked at the stars.  
  
But Harry was still worried. He couldn't settle until he knew what was happening with Voldemort. Who was he going to attack next? How could Harry stop him? All Harry knew was what he was doing on April 30. And he knew a lot would happen between now and then.  
  
Suddenly, it was September first. Ron and Hermione would be here in a few hours, and they would be asking questions.  
  
Harry sighed. He didn't want school to start. His lessons would be cut bak dramatically, and he wouldn't learn as much. When it came to Voldemort, Harry didn't think Potions or Herbology would help much.  
  
Harry grabbed his broom and flew above the school. He watched as the train pulled into the Hogwarts station on the other side of the forest. He watched as the students loaded into carriages, and he saw them pull closer to the school.  
  
Just then, he realized Cho was beside him on her broom.  
  
"We really should go back down now, Harry."  
  
"Yeah, Cho, can you see the carriages down there?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Do you see what is pulling them?"  
  
"No." She looked at him skeptically.  
  
"Good. Pray you never do."  
  
And he flew down to the front doors.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Well, that was chapter 3. You like? I quite enjoyed it, myself. Now, I just have to find time to type up the rest of my story.. This could be a greater challenge then it sounds. I did the first three chapters in one day. -emma (unolimbo) 


	4. feast your eyes

Thank you for the wonderful reviews, I think I've got about five or six, and I couldn't be prouder. Oh, and I keep reading peoples stories asking not to give flames. What the heck are flames? Can someone please explain it to me (in a review, please). Thank you kindly, unolimbo. Enjoy!  
  
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After putting his broom in his dormitory, Harry went down to the Great Hall to wait for his friends.  
  
Cho was already there, surprisingly. Harry walked over to her.  
  
She looked really nervous, and Harry knew it was because she was going to be quizzed on her summer by the people in her house. Harry was going to be quizzed too, but he was used to it; it had been happening for sixteen years. Harry squeezed Cho's shoulder.  
  
"It's going to be okay." "I just don't want to cry during the feast." She said, her voice shaking.  
  
* * * * *  
  
After ten minutes of talking across the room, a few people started to come into the Great Hall.  
  
A few Hufflepuffs; no one Harry or Cho knew.  
  
Soon the Great Hall was half-full, and too loud for Harry and Cho to continue talking. A moment after they gave up, Ron and Hermione walked in with Ginny, Neville, and Luna.  
  
"Harry!" Hermione called. "Where on earth have you been?" She gave him a hug.  
  
"Yeah, mate! Why didn't you come over this summer? The place felt so empty with out you! Is something wrong?" Ron didn't say it like he was worried bout Harry, he said it like Hermione had forced him to.  
  
"I'm really sorry, guys, but I was here all month. Anyway, how was your summer?" He tried to change the subject.  
  
"WHAT? WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US?" Hermione practically screamed at Harry. Ron looked hurt.  
  
"I'm sorry, I can't tell you now, but I promise I will when it quiets down. Okay? It had to do with extra learning. So, as I asked before, how was your summer?"  
  
"Oh, it was okay, Hermione came to stay with us." Harry wasn't listening. He was watching Cho. A group of Ravenclaw girls had come in, and Harry wanted to see how Cho reacted. She looked like she was about to cry, but she held herself back.  
  
"Harry!" Hermione snapped. "Have you been listening to a word Ron said? Oh, you still have a crush on Cho. Well, fine. If she's more important then your friends, then so be it!" She ate the rest of the meal silently.  
  
Ron, on the other hand, didn't seem to care that Harry had ignored him. "So seriously, what did you do this summer? Were you alone here?"  
  
Harry looked around the table to see if anyone was watching, and started. "I wasn't alone, there were all the teachers and Cho, and I've been studying advanced defe-"  
  
"Hey, mate, you didn't say anything about that before. Did anything happen?" Ron looked excited.  
  
'I was telling you that when I was so rudely interrupted." Harry said, exasperatedly. " I studied advance Defence Against the Dark Arts, and some other stuff, and I'm not taking Divination with you this year, sorry.'  
  
"I was talking about Cho, but why aren't you taking Divination?"  
  
Harry smiled. That would be Ron. 'Not telling. It's a secret. And by the way, Hermione, there is no new DADA teacher. It's Dumbledore. He says he wants students to learn how to act when they come in contact with Death Eaters, and he was the best for teaching it. You could've just asked me that in the first place." Hermione stuck her tongue out at him and made a face. They all laughed.  
  
Harry was glad they were back. "I really missed you guys."  
  
Just then, Dumbledore stood up. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. This year will be very different from any other we have had in the past. Every student will be putting 100% into Defence Against the Dark Arts class, and every other class. This is very important. We have changed the course, so it is now loosely based on our knowledge of Voldemort, Death Eaters, and Dememtors."  
  
No matter how many people flinched at Voldemorts name, it was no where near the reaction the dementor remark. Like the ministry, no one believed that the dementors would ever join Voldemort. But Dumbledore believed otherwise.  
  
"As I was saying, I am the new DADA teacher for years four to seven. The teacher for the other four years will be a surprise. Now eat, and be merry!"  
  
Food appeared on the table and Harry was afraid Ron had drowned in it. A few minutes later, Ron emerged from behind his pile.  
  
"I love this stuff." He said, his mouth full, so Harry barely caught what he was saying.  
  
Harry just smiled.  
  
* * * * *  
  
The next day, Harry woke up with his palms sweating.  
  
He had Defence Against the Dark Arts first and second class that morning. Not only that, his first class was with the second year Gryffindors and Slytherins. Harry already knew his timetables, because the entire schools timetables had been written around his. But that didn't make him feel any less nervous.  
  
He hoped Ron didn't notice Harry didn't have a class when they received their timetables at breakfast. Luckily, Ron was focussing solely on his waffles.  
  
"Ugh, Divination." Ron sputtered, his mouth full of waffle and whipped cream.  
  
Harry nodded. He didn't know why, but he really didn't want to tell Ron and Hermione about his teaching classes. He assumed he was just nervous and didn't want them to make fun of him.  
  
"Bye, mate." Harry said, noticing Cho walking out of the front hall, slightly behind a group of Ravenclaw girls who were paying no attention to her whatsoever. Ron didn't even notice when he got up.  
  
"Cho! Over here!" Harry called after he left the Great Hall. She looked up, smiled, and stopped in her tracks. The girls walking in front of her looked over their shoulders and giggled.  
  
"Harry, how are you? Excited for your first class?" she asked.  
  
Harry's stomach did a back flip. He realized again just how nervous he was. "Very nervous." He grinned.  
  
Se smiled back. "You'll do great. I'll see you later, I've got to run!"  
  
She walked away with much more of a bounce in her step.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Felling much better after their talk, Harry walked to his first class. He stood in the front of the classroom and waited for the students to come in.  
  
The first few came in chatting, but stopped abruptly and blushed when they saw Harry. "Sorry, we must be in the wrong class."  
  
"No," Harry laughed, "You're in the right place."  
  
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Well, there was chapter 4. Sorry it took so long, but I was in NYC for my long weekend, and I had absolutely no contact with computers for four days! Ok, before I went, I took OotP out from the library. I hadn't read it since august, and I noticed something: HARRY IS A ***HOLE!!!! Well, because I realized that my character of Harry is actually completely out of character, I am going to write a second (or is it third?) fan fiction about his sixth year. I tried one in my notebook about him when he was older, but I couln't come up with anything good or interesting, or basically anything. I used almost ten pages of my notebook before I gave up! 


	5. patronus animagus!

Here it is chapter five! Now, as all those faithful to the unolimbo legacy should know (even if I am not a legacy, which I am not, it would be really, really cool if you just played along) that I am not going to post chapter six until I have at least fifteen reviews. At this moment, I have nine. It is getting closer! Oh, and I will make this a cliffhanger to make sure you really want it.aren't I evil? I think so. Yet I am only going to the first level of hell! Speaking of which, go to www.4degreez.com and scroll down to the bottom of the personality disorder test to take the Dante's inferno test. It will tell you to which level of hell you are going! (not recommended for young children) 'nyways, I hope you all enjoy chapter five, because I really should be writing my two essays on the Jade Peony (worst book ever, apologies to Wayson Choy) but I'm doing all this for you people instead!!!!!!! By the way, if my writing style seems kind of weird, it's because I'm in the process of writing my thing on the Jade Peony at the same time, and I have to make it sound like he wrote it..imitating two different authors at the same time is very difficult! JkReviewer, I'm sorry, but I like to get my chapters out as often as I can, and it can be very difficult to come up with long chapters quickly, especially with exams coming up in less then a month. Sorry, I know how you feel. I like long stories too. And thanks to all my other reviewers!  
  
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Harry kept himself from grinning wildly as the class filled up. Many of them came in chatting as the first group did, but looked confused when they noticed Harry.  
  
"Okay, quiet down. This class is going to be very different from what you learned last year. You are going to be learning to face your fears, not how to deal with pixies, which is what we did when I was in second year."  
  
There was a small murmur of laughter in the classroom. Inside, Harry beamed.  
  
"You will be learning how to deal with Voldemort," another murmur, but not of laughter. "Death Eaters, and Dementors. Any questions?"  
  
A small boy put up his hand.  
  
"Your name?" Harry asked.  
  
"Jeremy Snigg, sir." Harry didn't like that. "Don't call me sir, call me Harry. Continue."  
  
"Aren't Dementors of our side?"  
  
Harry sighed. "For now, yes. However, they can change at any minute, if they are offered something better than what we have given them. All we are giving them now is a job, but what if they are offered freedom into the world outside of Azkaban? They might take it, and then we will have a very large number of dangerous creatures on our hands, and we will need to protect ourselves. Yes, I know that you are protected at school, but you are not protected in Hogsmeade next year, on Christmas vacation, or in the summer. These are the times we all need to protect ourselves; when Dumbledore isn't here to do it for us. I learned the hard way.  
  
"In my third year, I learned to do a Patronus charm. Last summer, Dementors attacked me at my own house. Had I not known what to do, I would not be standing in front of you now. Therefore, you will be learning Patronus Charms, and various other jinxes, counter jinxes, charms, and basic spells to help you with these three great enemies."  
  
He looked around the room. The entire class sat silently, in shock, their eyes wide.  
  
"Now, can anyone tell me what a Patronus is?"  
  
After a moment, a scared looking girl with blond curls put up her hand. "Name?" Harry asked.  
  
"Jane Bee. It's a spell that protects you from bad things like Dementors."  
  
"Very good, Jane."  
  
Harry looked around at the class. They still looked unsure of his ability. This called for an example.  
  
"That was very close," He added. "A Patronus is a spell that sends a ghost- like image of an animal that scares the Dementors. You use it if a Dementor is getting to close to you. It will make the Dementor hesitate or move back, or even, when you are good enough, it will actually push the Dementor away as if the Patronus itself was completely solid. This gives you a chance to get away.  
  
"Alright, who wants to help with an example?"  
  
Three or four kids put up their hands, and they still looked unsure of themselves.  
  
"Okay," said Harry, looking at the roll, "Saqua, come up here and stand opposite the room from me. This won't hurt a bit, but it might feel slightly strange. Ready?"  
  
She nodded. "Expectro Patronum!" Harry yelled, hoping it had worked. It did, and a large silver stag erupted from the end of his wand, charging at the young girl. She screamed and ducked, and the stag ran right through her and disappeared into the wall.  
  
"There we go. You see, it didn't hurt her one little bit. If she were a Dementor, however, she would have been thrown against the wall. Now, I want you all to practice for the last fifteen minutes of class. You might be able to see a faint silvery wisp by the end of class, which will mean you are improving.  
  
"I want everyone to say it with me: Expectro Patronum!"  
  
"Expectro Patronum!" the class chanted.  
  
"Okay, now practice. The most important thing to remember: think of something happy. Maybe you can think of getting a puppy, or Christmas, or being head boy or girl, whatever makes you happy. Go ahead!"  
  
There was a scramble to get the free space in the room.  
  
Harry spent the rest of the class walking around, watching all the students practice. They took any advice he gave him, and most of them were able to see a tiny bit of silver. Saqua, who now reminded Harry suspiciously of Hermione, was almost able to see the faint shape of an animal.  
  
"Very good, Saqua! Five points to Gryffindor, but don't get cocky!"  
  
She grinned, and a few of the Slytherins looked slightly grumpy.  
  
Suddenly, Harry realized it was time for the next class. "Oh, homework! I want everyone to practice and I want to see improvement next class! And write six inches on the Patronus Charm!"  
  
A few people scribbled down the homework as they left, but all of the m were whispering about how "this year is going to be so much better."  
  
Harry beamed at himself, even though there was no one there to see it.  
  
The second year Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs came in, and Harry repeated the lesson almost exactly the same way as he had the first.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Harry walked to Transfiguration smiling.  
  
"Why are you so happy, Harry?"  
  
He spun around. Cho was looking at him suspiciously. "Because I caught sight of your lovely face, oh beautiful one." Harry said.  
  
Cho laughed. "No, really!"  
  
'Both my classes went really well this morning, and I only have four more to go before they all realize I can teach."  
  
"Can you?" She said, getting back at him for his joke. Just then, the bell rang, and they ran separate directions to their classes.  
  
Harry walked into class to see Professor McGonagall sitting on her desk, her cat ears flickering at Dean and Seamus whispering in the corner.  
  
"Sit down, class." She said as she changed back into her human form. "Mr. Finnegan, Mr. Thomas, please leave the conversation of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes to your free time."  
  
Everyone laughed, and Harry could see a small smile flicker on the tightlipped teachers face.  
  
"This year, you will be learning about Animagi. You will be learning exactly how to become a certain animal, and hopefully, in five years, we will have a class full of registered animagi."  
  
"Five years!" Ron gasped. Hermione giggled quietly.  
  
"Yes, Mr. Weasley. Not every one will take that long, however. For example, I took almost four years to become an animagus, but Harry here, at the rate he is going, shouldn't take more than a few months."  
  
Harry felt his face go red, and there whispers around the classroom.  
  
Professor McGonagall continued as if nothing had happened. "Now, your homework tonight will be to decide what animal you want to be. I am giving you a long time to think about it, because you will have to start from scratch again if you change your mind. If I decided I wanted to become a horse animagi, I would have to go through another four years of training to succeed. Do you understand?"  
  
There was a murmur of approval.  
  
"Excellent. Does anyone know what animal they want to be yet?"  
  
Harry heard a small voice, just loud enough for the entire class to hear, come from beside him.  
  
"Malfoy wants to be a ferret."  
  
Harry looked at Hermione. He couldn't believe she had just said that. He looked from her to Malfoy, who was turning bright red, to Ron, who was laughing his head off at the fact that it had been Hermione had said it, to Professor McGonagall, who looked like she was straining all the muscles in her face trying not to smile. She said nothing, and just waited for the laughter to die down.  
  
Still, she took five points from Gryffindor, but Harry could tell she thought Malfoy deserved it.  
  
They spent the rest of the class learning how they would go about becoming an animagi, though Harry paid little attention; most of the stuff they would talk about the first class, he had already completed.  
  
After having nothing to do but listen, Harry realized he was only about halfway through, and he had done all the easy stuff.  
  
"Harry, why didn't you tell us you were learning to be an animagus?' Hermione whispered.  
  
"I'm sorry, guys, I forgot. It was one of the things I learned this summer. I've learned all the theory, but I haven't decided on an animal yet."  
  
That was an outright lie. He had decided on an animal, but he wasn't allowed to tell a single person, just for the future. If anything ever happened, no one would be able to recognize him.  
  
Just like Sirius had done.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Well, that's it.  
  
Logicalraven: thanks for the info on the flamers, that's what I thought they were, but one can never be too sure. And no, I am not planning on having and Ron/Hermione stuff. I really have way too much to talk about to include that, but I might put something in my next fan fiction, or later in this one, if I can come up with a really good story for them. I don't want the normal "Oh, we just decided to go for it after eyeing each other for five years" crap. No offence to the people who wrote it, I'm just getting a little bored of it. If anyone comes up with a good way to put it into my specific story, go ahead and tell me. I am always willing to accept story ideas, I often have problems coming up with really creative stuff for my writing!  
  
Well,I hope you are all enjoying this story, I'll send out a chapter probably this weekend. Maybe during the week, I dunno.  
  
REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REIVEW REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Thank you., come again. -emma  
  
p.s. Euge!!!! I made it to almost 2000 words! M a y b e I c a n s t a l l f o r a r e a l l y l o n g t I m e a n d I w I l l b e u p t o 2 0 thousand w o r d s. Last three word!  
  
Not including this sentence, 2000 words! 


	6. a scribble of all things Harry

Thanks for all the reviews. I don't normally do this, but I am going to anyway.  
  
Master squib etc.: I don't like to give out my personal information, how do I know that you're not some crazy scary person bent on world destruction? I don't want to be a pawn in the destruction of the world. But I am happy to be your friend. ONLY ON FANFICTION!  
  
Angelo: well, his animagi form is not a stag, but it is something INCREDIBLY predictable, because I'm really to damn lazy to change my story, and seeing as I've already written it, it makes a big dramatic scene at the end, so I can't change it. And, in the fifth book, Harry teaches the DA the patronus charm, and they all get it. Hermione's is an otter, or a weasel, or something like that. They all think they're cute. It really bugged me, because I wanted to make it really hard for all the students to get it. But I cant say 'oh, these people get it really quickly, but these don't.' you get it?  
  
Mjk306: again, I say I don't want to make it longer because then people will pester me to put it out faster. I cant make everyone happy, I have to go with the majority. I learned that in civics class.  
  
CHO24/7: I'm glad you liked it. It was going to be Ron who said it, but I decided it would be funnier if Hermione did, and seeing as it is the best and most original part of my entire story, I had to make it dramatic.  
  
Well, I am hoping to get some action in soon, but it's really a lot harder than I thought to get it in. I'll try.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Weeks went by, and Harry actually became a quite good student. He never did anything except homework and Quiddich, but somehow, he still found time to sit down with Ron and goof off.  
  
"Okay, if you were going to ask one girl out, who would it be?" Ron asked, after Hermione had gone to the other side of the room to get away from the annoying clacking of Harry and Ron's wizard chess.  
  
"Umm. I'm not really sure about that one. I mean, last year, it would have been Cho, but I don't know anymore. What about you?"  
  
Ron went slightly red in the face while Harry's queen knocked out his last knight. "Well, I'm sort of sure, but I don't think she wants to go out with me. We. oh, never mind."  
  
They were both silent for a minute, and Harry was very confused about why Ron had brought up the topic. He decided to change it. "So, excited for the Quiddich game next week?"  
  
They talked about how easy Hufflepuff would be to beat, how much fun they were having at practices, everything. Finally, they were too tired to keep talking, and they dragged their feet up the stairs to the dormitory.  
  
While he was waiting to fall asleep, he thought about Ron's question. He did like someone. He'd liked her for almost four years. And he wanted to do something about it. Soon, if he could work up the courage.  
  
He didn't notice it until around Christmas, but He hadn't really talked to Cho that much. Sure, he'd said hello to her in the halls, but he hadn't had a real conversation with her since school started.  
  
The only thing that worried him more than his Cho troubles was Voldemort. And that worried him a lot.  
  
The wizarding world was in shambles. Hundreds of wizards had been attacked, many of them killed. None of the students at Hogwarts had parents be killed, but many knew people who had died, and the numbers were getting greater.  
  
Harry and Cho remained the only orphans at Hogwarts.  
  
Finally, Harry decided it was time to talk to Cho. On a nice Sunday afternoon a few weeks before Christmas, Harry found her walking down the hall. He asked her if she would come to the library with him.  
  
"Why?" Cho asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
'No reason, we just haven't really talked much since school started, and we haven't seen each other at all, and, well, I thought we should."  
  
She looked at him suspiciously, but shrugged her shoulders and agreed.  
  
"but only for an hour, I have a date." Cho said as they walked down the hall.  
  
Harry's stomach flipped. "A date, with who? Does he know?"  
  
"He's Alan Deezling, (A/N heh heh.funny name.I wanted to make my own character for this.) I can't believe you didn't notice. I've been going out with him since October. That's four months, you know." She was definitely making fun of him. 'And no," She looked down. "He doesn't know. I'm not ready to trust anyone with that yet. I haven't told anyone. When a girl in my year asked me why I hadn't gotten any mail this year, I had to tell her my parents were on a muggle cruise, and couldn't bring an owl. I also had to run away to stop myself from crying in front of her."  
  
She paused, but took a deep breath and continued. "I know he will treat me differently. I want to be ready for it, and I'm not yet."  
  
Harry understood. It had taken him almost two weeks to tell Ron and Hermione about him teaching a class. He had wanted to make sure he was good at it before he told his friends.  
  
"That's okay. I've had to deal with death too. A lot, and I know it's hard. You just have to hold your head high and keep yourself calm. I think it will be better for you, because you have someone to talk to, someone who understands. Of course, I have seen it so much, you could say I've been desensitized.." He was rambling. Cho smiled, and he stopped.  
  
"Sorry." He squeaked.  
  
"It's alright. I've been doing pretty well about my parents. I still cry a lot, but I can control it until I'm alone. Unlike last year, I can actually be happy around people."  
  
"Cho, you don't have to hide anything here, you know that? You don't have to bottle it up."  
  
Cho stayed silent for a minute, but then spoke. "I know, I really am doing well. It's just, well, Alan."  
  
Harry knew this wasn't good. He felt his heart drop to his stomach. She was going to talk to him about boyfriend troubles! She couldn't think of him as more than a friend.  
  
"He's really nice, and I really like him, but he's protective. That's why I haven't talked to you very much. If he knew I was here, he'd get mad at you. The only reason he wouldn't beat you up is because he's scared of you."  
  
She giggled at the thought of people being scared of Harry. Harry could understand. He just couldn't see himself as the Dudley figure wandering around the halls, beating up little kids.  
  
Cho continued. "Because of it, he thinks I'm always there just for him. He doesn't ask me on dates, he tells me to meet him somewhere. Like the Christmas Hogsmeade trip. He hasn't asked me yet. He'll probably just tell me to meet him in the common room, the night before."  
  
They sat in silence for a few minutes, thinking. They both knew it was time for a subject change, so they started to talk about the Quiddich match, how bad Hufflepuff was without Cedric, and how much fun Cho had had in the Slytherin/Ravenclaw game. She had easily beaten Malfoy to the snitch, meaning that when the snow went away and the Quiddich games started again, Harry and Cho would quickly end up playing against each other.  
  
After an hour of chatting like real friends while receiving angry looks from the librarian, Cho stood up to leave.  
  
"Wait, Cho. Do you want to come to Hogsmeade with me? We can do our Christmas shopping together."  
  
Cho smiled. "Sure. I'll see you then."  
  
Harry floated through the rest of the week, waiting for Saturday. He messed up so many times in Potions that Hermione actually let him have some of her potion to hand in, though she swore she would never, ever, do it again.  
  
Harry was so excited, that on Friday, he almost missed the headline of the Daily Prophet.  
  
The only reason he thought about it was because he heard shrieks coming from various students, and saw Hermione go very white when she read the front page of her copy.  
  
He took it from her shaking hands, and read it out loud to Ron.  
  
"DEMENTORS TO DARK SIDE"  
  
The dementors had joined Voldemort. This was the beginning of the end.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Hee hee! Well, don't you just love me now? Hurray for cliffhangers! I'm sorry, but I needed to end, and this is just agreat part to do it in.  
  
Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Oh, and the conversation with Ron was just to get Harry to want to talk to Cho. It wasn't a hint towards Ron wanting to go out with Hermione, as I KNOW all you people are going to think it is!!!!!!!!  
  
please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Oh boy, 1,600 words! Hurray!!! -Emma, or as I like to be called, unolimbo! 


	7. Happy Christmas, Ahole!

The Hogsmeade trip was cancelled. Students weren't allowed to leave the castle without being accompanied by either a teacher, or some one who knew how to do a proper Patronus, just in case.  
  
No dementors came to Hogwarts.  
  
Harry's training steeped up. He now spent every night in the Professor McGonagall's classroom, either learning animagi with her, or advanced DADA with Professor Dumbledore.  
  
Hew went immediately after dinner, and stayed until past curfew. He was also excused from all his homework, so he would have more time to work.  
  
Outside the castle boundaries, the second war raged. Hundreds were killed, many more driven to madness by Dementors or Death Eaters.  
  
Harry was sure that Lucius Malfoy was one of those Death Eaters, but Malfoy didn't seem too cocky. He seemed scared, just like everyone else.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Christmas was still a happy day, though it was tough getting people presents. Everyone was wrapping potions, clothes, and other personal belongings in parchment, and giving them to their friends.  
  
Harry was the only person not thinking about what to get his best friends. In fact, by Christmas eve, he hadn't given it a thought. He hadn't had time. Every one in Gryffindor seemed to understand he was doing something more important than anything they could think of, so they left him alone while he sat in the corner and thought. Finally, after spending an hour getting his last minute presents ready for Ron and Hermione, Harry went to bed.  
  
Harry opened his eyes. He was in the great hall. Lightening was flashing over his head, lighting up the black room. Every time it flashed, Harry saw a girl sitting on the other side of the room, at the Ravenclaw table. He ran over to her.  
  
"Harry! I'm so scared! I don't like the dark!" Cho cried.  
  
"It's going to be okay, just stay there!" Harry called out to her. He was running towards her, but she seemed to be getting farther and farther away. Suddenly, the lights came on, and the Great Hall was filled with people swarming around him, suffocating him.  
  
"Cho!" She walked up to him. "It's okay, Harry. I'm not scared when it's light out! I don't need you any more!" She stuck her tongue out, and changed into Ron.  
  
"I told you she was no good, mate!" then into Hermione. "I can't believe you didn't tell us!" Then Ginny, "We could have told you this would happen, if you'd only asked." then to Fred. "I'm not Fred, I'm George, stupid!"  
  
"Aaaah! What the hell?" Harry woke up.  
  
"What is it, Harry? A nightmare?" Ron asked, groggily.  
  
"No, it's nothing. Go back to sleep."  
  
"Sure thing, mate, but not without opening my presents first!" Ron leapt on the small pile at the end of the bed.  
  
Harry had given Ron his Chudley Cannons poster, which made Ron squeak when he unrolled it. "Cool! Thanks, Harry!" He proceeded to open a book from Hermione, sweets from Hagrid, and a sweater from his mum, all while Harry sat in his bed, watching.  
  
"Are you going to open anything?" Seamus asked, noticing Harry.  
  
Harry realized he hadn't given a glance to his presents, and moved to the end of his bed to open them.  
  
He opened a bag of goodies from Fred and Georges store, ("I had a hell of a time getting it here" Ron said.) the same sweets from Hagrid, n emerald green sweater from Mrs. Weasley, a subscription to the Daily Prophet from Hermione, and a cookie from the Dursleys, the best present they had ever given him.  
  
He was pretty sure Moody and Tonks had something to do with it. While Ron was going through the goodies he had given Harry, Harry noticed two more presents in the corner.  
  
He opened the first one which was a letter.  
  
Dear Harry:  
  
I just wanted to thank you. Everything you've done, I don't think I could've survived it without your help. I owe you one.  
  
Sorry for not having a present, Cho  
  
Harry looked it over a few times, before Ron poked him, wanting to know what was in the tiny shaking box.  
  
Before opening it, he read the small note attached. 'I hope this helps. I found it at Grimmauld place. Sirius must have kept it this whole time. I've never seen one last this long. The magic usually wears off after a few years. Good luck, and I hope to hear from you soon.'  
  
Harry opened the tiny box, and a golden snitch flew out, darting around the room.  
  
"Cool, Harry!" Neville said, watching it. "Yeah mate, who'd give you a snitch? I hear they're pretty expensive!"  
  
"It doesn't say," Ron said, reading the note.  
  
"Yes it does." Harry said, his eyes still following the snitch. He reached out, and before the snitch could dart out of the way, grabbed it.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Before going down to breakfast, Harry had some thinking to do.  
  
What could he give Cho? It was too late, and he wasn't a good enough artist to make her something, and he couldn't give her something like his cloak, or broom, or map. He didn't want to look like he was trying too hard. He also didn't want to part with them.  
  
Finally, it came to him. He ran downstairs to catch up with Ron and Hermione.  
  
He walked in to the Great Hall, noticing for the first time just how many people had stayed for Christmas holiday. They were all afraid to leave the safety of the castle walls.  
  
Harry stuck his hand in his pocket, making sure his gift was still there. It was.  
  
He walked up to where Cho was sitting. She was alone.  
  
"Hey Cho," Harry said, smiling. "Happy Christmas!"  
  
Her face lit up. "Harry! Please, sit down!"  
  
He did, and asked the first question that came into his head. "So, any good haul?"  
  
She sighed, obviously not too happy about the first Christmas without her parents. "No, Alan said he couldn't get me anything if he couldn't go to Hogsmeade, but he said he was sure my parents would give me some good stuff. I had to run away to stop myself from crying." She paused.  
  
"Again."  
  
She sighed again. "I should probably talk to him about it. I think today might be the day I tell someone else about my parents. I just wish I had someone to back me up."  
  
Harry looked at her, his mouth hanging open. Was she stupid? What was he, chopped liver?  
  
"Harry," She said, rolling her eyes. "I can't take you to talk to my boyfriend!"  
  
Oh. Oops.  
  
"Well Cho, I think you need something to cheer you up on this wonderful Christmas day!" He reached into his pocket and pulled out her present. "Sorry it's not wrapped, it kept putting holes in my parchment."  
  
Cho looked like she was going to cry. Oh great, maybe this wasn't such a good idea.  
  
"Oh, Harry, thank you! It must mean so much to you, though!"  
  
"Yeah, I guess, but a model seems so inadequate when I've fought the real thing."  
  
Cho laughed, her eyes sparkling, and put the model of the Hungarian Horntail on the table in front of her.  
  
She hugged him. "You're welcome, Cho, but you can let go of me now." Harry said after a moment.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry." She blushed and let go. "Cho!" An angry voice traveled across the great hall. The entire student body went quiet.  
  
"What's going on here?"  
  
Cho sighed, her eyes sparkling angrily. "Nothing, Alan. He gave me a Christmas present, that's all."  
  
"Oh? Harry. You trying to make a play on my girlfriend?"  
  
Harry was confused, and he was sure he looked it. Hadn't he just given her a Christmas present?  
  
"No Alan, he isn't. I told you, he was giving me a Christmas present." Her fists were clenched together so tightly they were white, and her lips made a thin straight line, making her look suspiciously like Professor McGonagall.  
  
"Well, then why are you two so chummy?'" Harry understood what Cho meant by Alan being overprotective. He was probably a very nice boy, most of the time.  
  
Probably.  
  
Cho stood up. She was fuming now. "We are so 'chummy' because he understands what I've been through!"  
  
"Cho, no. Not like this!" Harry tried to pull her back down, but she just shook him off. Harry knew this was not really his business. He let her keep talking.  
  
"What do you mean?" Alan screamed, not wanting Cho to have a special bond with another guy, especially her ex-boyfriend.  
  
"I mean, that when I got home from school, my parents were dead on the living room floor! I spent the entire summer crying, all my friends didn't want anything to do with me this year because I was no fun any more, and I was afraid to tell any one because they would treat me differently! Harry is the only one who understands that I'm still me! He's the only one I can talk to! If that's too much for you to handle, then this won't work!"  
  
Alan looked very pale, knowing she was right. But he still kept going. "Why the hell would I treat you differently then he would?" He screamed.  
  
Cho seemed to have lost her energy. Tears were streaming down her face, and her answer was a whisper.  
  
"Because he's the only one who realizes I'm not evil because my parents were murdered by Voldemort." She was whispering, but everyone in the room heard her say it, it echoed like she had shouted it. Harry knew that was the end of it.  
  
It was the first time she had ever said Voldemort's name.  
  
Cho stood there for a minute, waiting for an answer, but when none came, she turned on her heel and strode out of the Great Hall.  
  
After a minute with the entire rooms eyes on him, Harry slowly stood up, pocketed the Hungarian Horntail, and backed out of the room, every face in the room following him.  
  
Alan Deezling was still in too much shock to say anything.  
  
Harry walked to the front door, and saw footsteps leading to the lakeshore. He knew that Cho would go outside, she wouldn't meet anyone there.  
  
As he approached the frozen shore of the lake, Harry saw a black shape sitting under a tree, looking out at the lake.  
  
He knew it was Cho, and he walked over and sat down beside her.  
  
"You forgot your gift." He said.  
  
"Harry, don't you know when to leave well enough alone?"  
  
"Nope." He grinned. "Here, this is yours."  
  
She took the Hungarian Horntail in her icy hands, and smiled when Harry handed her a pair of gloves he had in his robe pocket.  
  
"I'm sorry for what just happened. I didn't mean for it to happen that way, I didn't want to bring you into it, and I certainly didn't want to do it in front of the entire school, either." She laughed.  
  
"I suppose it's for the best. He was very jealous."  
  
"He sure was." Harry chuckled.  
  
'Well, Harry, you did happen to see him at his worst. He really is very nice, and I think I really liked him." She talked for a few more minutes, and Harry let her get it all out.  
  
"C'mon, Cho. Let's go inside, you're shivering. We can go to my crazy new office, or something."  
  
She nodded and smiled. As they walked to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, Harry felt increasingly nervous, like he was responsible for everything that had just happened, and Cho was going to notice it any second, and never want to talk to him again.  
  
"I want to know," Cho said, taking a deep breath, "What's happening with You-Know-Who."  
  
It was Harry's turn to sigh. It was also his turn to have his stomach turn at the thought.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Hah! That was almost 2000 words, and this time I remembered to not include the notes!  
  
Ok, last chapter, I screwed up. It seems I cannot count. I said she had been going out with Alan since October. "That's four months" she said. But, if she broke up with him at Christmas, well, as I'm sure you noticed, that's not four months. Three, at most. More like two and a half.  
  
Secondly, I got some complaints about the predictability of the Dementors turning evil. Duh! She basically said had happened by the end of the fifth book. But that's not important. The only reason they went bad is so every one would stay over Christmas holiday, and it would add some sadness and fear into their world. The dementors aren't really going to have too much to do with it.  
  
Well, thanks for all the reviews, and sorry I took so long with this chapter. I was away on Monday and Tuesday, and I was sick yesterday. so I haven't gotten time to finish in a while.. Yeah. That's it. Review. Now. Or I will have to murder you. Metaphorically speaking.  
  
"I shall call you squishy, and you shall be mine. You shall be my squishy!"  
  
-unolimbo/emma 


	8. Mindless but still mindful chatter

"I don't really know. He's very strong, and he's doing a lot of damage. I think it's going to get worse before it gets better. I can feel it."  
  
Cho looked puzzled, but didn't say anything. "He left part of himself in me, so I can feel his emotions sometimes. The day that the Dementors left, I felt a wave of happiness come over me. It didn't seem too strange, though, because I was happy at the time."  
  
Cho nodded. She seemed to understand, but didn't really want to, so Harry left it alone.  
  
"We can kill him. We will never win, it's already to late for that. Too many have died. Too many died from the moment Cedric was killed. But there will be a victory. And I think it will be for us. I'm almost ready."  
  
Harry clapped his hand on his forehead. "Bloody hell." He muttered. He hadn't meant to say that.  
  
He wouldn't want Cho to think he was doing it alone, because he wasn't. Lupin had answered that letter he sent in the summer, and had told Harry that the Order of the Phoenix was rallying troops for an army to fight against Voldemort after he took over the Ministry of Magic. Harry would leave school, and, on June the First, they would attack.  
  
Harry knew he couldn't keep it quiet now, so he explained it to Cho. "Lupin said he expects to have five hundred witches and wizards, all ready to fight and give their lives for mankind, by Christmas."  
  
Harry thought about what he had just said. He was prophesized to bring down Lord Voldemort. Him, out of those five hundred people.  
  
Cho hugged him tightly. "I'm glad you're not doing it alone." She still looked shocked, and her face was white. Harry could still see shiny streaks still left over from her tears.  
  
"Does anyone else know?" she asked quietly. "Ron? And Hermione?"  
  
"No. I was going to tell them after Lupin sent the Christmas statistics." It felt so professional, having people send him statistics, almost for inspection.  
  
Harry wished they could send him information more often, but it wasn't safe. Owls could always be intercepted. Moody had to do powerful magic to conceal it. He would use, Lupin had said, Disparati, which would make the owl invisible to everyone but Harry, until Harry himself laid eyes on the owl.  
  
Unfortunately, the magic was so powerful and complicated, it made the wizard so tired they slept the rest of the day, and the Order couldn't afford to spend too much time lying down.  
  
As if on cue, a small clicking came through the window.  
  
"I don't see anything!" Cho said.  
  
Harry's eyes turned towards the window, where a small, brown, owl tapped on the window.  
  
"Perfect timing." Harry muttered, smiling. As he pulled the letter off the owl's leg, he could barely open it, his hands were shaking so much. Cho placed her hand on his (A/N hee hee! First real fluff so far!) and he read the letter.  
  
Dear Harry:  
  
Happy Christmas! We're doing very well, we've gone way past our goal. We have almost seven hundred and fifty people! We are packed tight here in Grimmauld place, and it's getting pretty tense. We're all just waiting for you now. I myself haven't spent too much time here, I'm one of the few who can afford to be seen as a member of the order. I travel around England, and I even went to Canada for a VERY productive month, getting people to understand the dangers and powers of Voldemort. Of course, while we work very hard, we're careful not to get caught by Dementors. We're very surprised, actually, that they can't get into Grimmauld Place. We must have underestimated those Blacks. We thought that the Dementors would be able to sense us, because we are still here. But it seems that there are spells on this house to protect it from that too. It's quite amazing, really. Well, back to the point of the letter. We have gone far over our Christmas goal, but we still have five months to gain and lose people. We will see you on April 30. If you are not here, help will be sent out. Don't try and answer this letter. If you have any questions, ask Dumbledore.  
  
Happy Christmas, Moony  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Sorry it was so short, but they talked so much, and they'll probably be talking a lot in the next few chapters too, so I thought I'd break it up a little. I have the busiest week humanly possible, so I don't know if I'll get another chapter out before December. But I'll do my very best. Indigal: thanks for being the only person to review chapter seven, *ahem* and Cho was supposed to call him Voldemort. I was trying to show that she could say it and still feel safe when she was with Harry, but I promptly forgot. Yeah. Like I said, there is going to be a lot of talk. He talks to Cho, he talks to R and H, he talks to Cho again, then he does boring stuff, then he does more stuff. it just keeps going  
  
This is just something I want to clarify: Did anyone else notice that Voldemort IS Hitler? I was just really proud of myself for noticing that. It happened in one of my random, eyes-not-working, not-being-able-to-read- my-own-writing, not-being-able-to-type-or-think-clearly moments. Yeah.  
  
"I have to do it alone. This is between me and the vegetable."  
  
-unolimbo 


	9. buds and boggarts

"Wow." Cho said.  
  
Harry was amazed. Seven hundred and fifty witches and wizards, waiting for him to lead them into battle. It made him queasy just thinking about it.  
  
"I'm sorry Cho, but I've got to go tell Ron and Hermione. I'll see you later okay?"  
  
"Sure." Cho answered, but still looked upset to see him leave.  
  
Harry got up to go, but hesitated. "Cho?"  
  
"Mm hmm?"  
  
"Cho. if we're allowed to leave, do you want to go to Hogsmeade with me?"  
  
Cho eyed him suspiciously, much like she had the last time. "As a date?"  
  
"If you want it to be." Harry could feel the colour rising in his face, but he didn't care.  
  
"Absolutely. A few months ago, I would've said we had no chance of getting back together. But now, I would love to."  
  
Harry spent the entire walk to the Gryffindor common room smiling. "Cornish hen." Harry said to the fat lady. He only stopped grinning when he saw Ron and Hermione frowning at him.  
  
"Harry, how could you?"  
  
"Yes, why didn't you tell us?"  
  
"Tell you what?"  
  
"Everything Seamus said Cho said in the Great Hall."  
  
"Oh. That." Harry sat down, his mind reeling, trying to find the best way to explain. 'Do you know the whole story?"  
  
Hermione nodded, but Ron gave her a look and shook his head.  
  
""Well, I guess I can explain. Cho's parents were killed by Voldemort."  
  
Both Ron and Hermione winced, but Harry ignored them. "She found them when she came home from school. Dumbledore thought she would be safe at my house, in case Voldemort came back. I didn't want anyone at school to know until Cho was ready to tell them, and that included you two. I'm sorry, but it wasn't my secret to tell."  
  
He felt good getting it out. He knew there was more, and he intended to tell them all of it.  
  
"There is some stuff I didn't tell you because I wasn't ready. I'm still not ready, but you guys deserve to know." Harry motioned for them to go into corner. "Verballo." Harry muttered, meaning that no one could hear the sounds they were making, no matter how loudly they talked.  
  
He took a deep breath. "We came to school after a month. We came so I could train. I can apparate now, well, almost, I still have t take the test, and I am almost an animagi. I can't tell you what I turn into, for safety reasons. That's why I always practice in Professor McGonagall's office. The only people who know my animagus form are Dumbledore and McGonagall. Anyway, it should only be a few days before I can do it. In early may, I am leaving school and we are going to plan an attack on Voldemort. I can't tell you more, just in case. You will find out then."  
  
Ron had gone very white, and Hermione had actually started to cry.  
  
"I need to beg forgiveness for not telling you this, but. I'm teaching a course this year. Defense Against the Dark Arts, for the first to third years. I'm actually doing pretty well, Dumbledore is bringing in a Boggart when classes start again for the third years, and I've got all the first year stuff under control. It's making me really happy, because these kids are respecting me for more than just a scar on my head. It's also helping me learn to be a leader, which I think is important for someone who is going to be leading an army."  
  
Harry looked from Ron, to Hermione, back to Ron, back to Hermione. Hermione was crying almost freely now, and Ron had turned a slight green colour.  
  
"Err, I'm done, you know." Harry said, thinking they hadn't really understood.  
  
"Harry." Hermione said slowly, choosing her words carefully. "We should be really mad at you for not telling us, but you didn't exactly lie, and you didn't really have a choice. You are also doing some truly amazing things." She smiled weakly.  
  
"Besides," Ron continued for her, turning less green as he spoke. "you will need friends behind you for this, so we are prepared to forgive you."  
  
Harry smiled so broadly he thought his face was going to explode. He stood up and gave both of them hugs. "Friends forever?"  
  
"Friends forever." Hermione and Ron both answered.  
  
"Oh, by the way, guess what just happened to me?" Harry didn't wait for an answer. "I asked Cho out, and she said yes!"  
  
Hermione glanced at Ron, but they quickly burst into smiles. Harry could tell they saw Cho in a different light after all the new information. 'Congratulations!" Hermione cried.  
  
"Yeah mate, congrats."  
  
Harry looked at them. "So, when is it going to happen for you two?" They both blushed, and Harry ran to his dormitory before they could catch him. Harry could hear Ron hot on his heels, but he closed the door on him too quickly.  
  
"Ouch!" Came a sound from the other side of the door. Harry opened it. "You okay, Ron?"  
  
Suddenly, he felt a swift smack hit him on the upside of his head. "Hah! Fooled you!"  
  
"Hey, I'm a teacher, I can take points off!"  
  
"Yeah, well I'm a prefect, I can take points off too!"  
  
"Touché!" Harry laughed. They both collapsed laughing on a couch when they got back to the common room. They spent the rest of the night comparing presents, smiling, and laughing.  
  
* * * * *  
  
the next week, classes started again. "Why, oh why, does Divination have to be my first class after Christmas?" Ron grumbled at breakfast.  
  
Harry laughed. "Yeah, well, I have to impress a bunch of third year students, trying to get them to believe that I can actually defeat a Boggart. Luckily, Professor McGonagall doesn't have a class right now, so she is going to stand by."  
  
But Ron wasn't listening. He was too busy with his toast, and Hermione was too busy reading her Arithmancy textbook.  
  
A little while later, Harry walked into his classroom. Professor McGonagall was already there, as well as a few early bird students.  
  
"Good morning, Professor, students. I hope you enjoyed you holidays."  
  
"Oh come on, you know we were here, just like you!" Jane Bee said as she walked in.  
  
Finally, Harry got his class settled (without Professor McGonagall's help, he was proud to say) and started class. "Alright, I hope you have all practiced you Riddikulus spell over the holidays, as today is the day it comes into action!"  
  
Harry listened to them chant the spell, but wasn't really paying attention. He was worried about what would happen if he went in front of the Boggart. It wouldn't come as a Dementor anymore. It would come as him. Voldemort. And it just wasn't right to expose his students tot hat, so he couldn't do a demo.  
  
The students lined up single file against the wall opposite to the box the Boggart was in. Jane Bee, the first in the alphabet, came forward. The box opened.  
  
A small, furry creature came out. A rat. "Riddikulus!" She screamed. The rat flipped over on its back, its tiny legs squirming in front of it. The next student came forward, and the Boggart changed into a very surly looking Slytherin, whom Harry was quie sure was in fourth year. Domita cried the spell, and the bully's voice cracked as he threatened her. The entire class laughed, even the slytherins.  
  
Soon most of the class had gone. They had been basic things to be scared of, creatures from movies, stories, although there were a few Death Eaters with their masks falling off, a troll knocking itself out (which Harry found strangely familiar) and a Thestral which started sprouting purple fur. Finally, Professor McGonagall stepped forward and put the Boggart away.  
  
Harry applauded his class. "That was wonderful! Now, I want a short piece on the dangers of Boggarts. About six inches, please."  
  
The students all pulled out their quills and wrote down their homework before the bell rang. As Harry was waiting for his next class, Professor McGonagall approached him. "You've taught them well, Harry. I'll make sure to tell Serverus, he's sure to get a kick out of it."  
  
Harry laughed, picturing the look on Snape's face when he found out Harry was doing a good job. He couldn't even begin to think how low he'd score on his next Potions assignment.  
  
"Harry, would you like to try the Boggart? It might be good practice. The way it feels, though I'm not sure it would be the same."  
  
Harry nodded, and took position. The Boggart came out, and transformed into a tall, thin man. Harry barely glanced at Professor McGonagall, but he could see that she had her wand up and ready.  
  
'Hello, Harry. You know why I'm here. It's your fault. You let him die, and I live. You are a stupid, weak, little boy, and I am going to crush you as soon as I see you. It is your fault he is dead, and it is your fault Cedric is dead. You did it. And you can never escape, until I kill yo-"  
  
"Riddikulus!" Harry screamed, and Voldemort's great clock disappeared, and a sparkling suit and straw boater appeared. Voldemort's legs started to move, and he turned into a scary looking Fred Astaire. He continued to talk as he danced, but he was drowned out by old music.  
  
Professor McGonagall put it in the box, and smiled. "That was wonderful. You are going to do very, very well."  
  
She left without another word.  
  
Harry couldn't help but smile. He was almost there.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
well, I'm getting there. Its going to get interesting soon. I think there are going to be less than fifteen chapters, unless I come up with new twists, which I definitely plan to. Thanks for all the reviews. I'm trying to get to fifty. I'm actually over halfway there. Please help me get to my goal! If you have any questions or anything, say it in a review, and I will answer it in my next chapter. So long..everyone should watch Little Shop of Horrors..best movie ever!  
  
"Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines."  
  
-unolimbo 


	10. the beggining of the end

For the next three and a half months, Harry worked harder than he ever had before. He had been told he didn't need to do homework, and he barely ever got to see his friends, except at meals and classes.  
  
Harry became a full fledged animagus, and he passed his apparition test with flying colours. (a/n who cares if he's too young? Not me!) he kearned many new defensive and offensive spells, and worked really hard at occlumency (a/n spelling).  
  
Finally, on April 30, Harry was ready to go. He just had to say his goodbyes, and go get changed. After much crying from Hermione and a very green look from Ron, Harry decided he needed to go find Cho. He searched the entire school for her; he even asked Professor Flitwick to check the Ravenclaw common room. But he couldn't find her. He decided to go say goodbye to Hagrid.  
  
"'Arry!" Hagrid boomed when he opened the door. "Great teh see yeh!"  
  
Harry gave him a hug. Hagrids great smile faded away, and his black eyes looked scared. "Be careful." He said, as Harry trieed to pry Fang off of him.  
  
"It's alright, Fang, I'll be back soon!" he said as Fang howled. "Smart dog, isn't't he?" He laughed. "Bye, Hagrid."  
  
Harry left the small wood cabin, as Hagrid was now crying too much to talk to. It was getting late, and Harry still needed to find Cho.  
  
He got an idea. "Accio maurader's map!" a moment later, a small piece of paper flew into his hand. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good." Harry whispered, tapping the parchment. He looked over it, trying to find Cho's name. He saw, finally, a small dot name "Cho Chang" in the astronomy tower.  
  
He ran up the tall staircase to the tower three steps at a time. It was getting late.  
  
"Cho?" Harry said, coming to the top of the stairs.  
  
"Harry!" she turned and looked at him. "Come sit down!" Harry sat beside her. He could tell she had been crying, but he didn't say anything about it.  
  
"You know, Cho, we still haven't had that date we planned on Christmas. In fact, we have barely even talked. Promise me that when I get back, we'll take that date, whether we're allowed to or not?" Harry asked.  
  
Cho looked down, and Harry could see tears fall on to the floor. She nodded.  
  
"Look, Cho. It's almost curfew, you should probably get out and patrol for students out of bed. I'll walk you to the Great Hall, or something. She told him that she was not on duty tonight. Harry nodded.  
  
'Won't you be caught?" She asked. He realized she didn't know exactly when he was leaving.  
  
"No, I'm leaving in an hour." He paused. "I'm going to miss you. I'll be back in a month, though." They were almost at the Ravenclaw common room.  
  
"Promise me you won't get hurt?" Cho asked quietly.  
  
"No."  
  
Cho looked shocked at his answer, and tears welled up in her eyes. She blinked them away.  
  
"I can't promise I won't get hurt. That would be impossible. But I can promise I'll come back. Is that fair?" they had reached the common room.  
  
"Bye, Cho. I will come back." He gave her a hug. It felt so good, holding her. She was so warm, and she just melted into his arms.  
  
"Excuse me, Cho, but I would really like to get back to my common room before I get in trouble. I'm not allowed to be out all night with someone, even if you are. Would you mid moving?"  
  
They pulled apart. Alan was standing in front of them, glaring at Harry. They stepped away, and Alan walked in the door.  
  
"Good bye, Cho." Harry whispered. He turned, and ran. He didn't want to stop until he was far enough that he wouldn't turn back. He ran all the way to his dorm.  
  
What he didn't know, was that Cho was still standing in front of the door, crying, when he reached his dorm.  
  
He walked to his trunk and pulled out all the stuff Lupin had sent him. He needed to be extra careful when he was traveling, because the order couldn't spare anyone to come and get him. When Harry found out he wasn't apparating, he was worried. Dumbledore had explained that there were spells to find out where people had apparated, and they didn't want anyone to trace him.  
  
Harry changed into the clothes that Lupin had sent, full of pockets and completely black. He put his wand in his belt, and in his rucksack he put his invisibility cloak, his firebolt, he sneakoscope, and some robes. Moody had even supplied him with a gun for his travels, just in case. He shuddered when he touched the cold metal of it, but he strapped it on.  
  
"Where are you going, Harry? You'll get in trouble if you go somewhere! There are Dementors outside the school walls!"  
  
the other sixth year boys walked in as Harry was packing his socks.  
  
"Yeah, mate, where are you going?" Seamus asked.  
  
Harry looked at them. They all looked so happy, except Ron, who was very quiet, and still very pale. "Very far away. I'll be in more trouble if I stay here. I'll miss you guys."  
  
Confused, they followed him downstairs. Harry guessed that the entire house was sitting in the common room. He marched past them all , and turned around at the portrait hole. Everyone was watching him silently.  
  
He looked around the room at them. Some, his innocent first years, looked excited, but the older students seemed to understand that he was doing something above them all.  
  
He took a deep breath. 'I wish you all luck on your studies. Work hard, and stay out of trouble. Dumbledore has too much on his mind right now to deal with mischievous students."  
  
They were still staring at him. "I hope I'll see you all here next year, every single one of you."  
  
He walked out the door.  
  
He walked slowly to the Astronomy tower, where he was leaving from. Just at the foot of the tower, he met another student. He sighed. It was Pansy Parkinson, the sixth year prefect for Slytherin.  
  
"ooh, Potty!" She squeaked. "out of bed after curfew? We'd best take off, oh, fifty points from Gryffindor! And explain what you were doing out at this hour!"  
  
Harry walked around her, but she persisted. Suddenly, a voice carried from the top of the tower.  
  
"100 points from Slytherin for questioning a teacher."  
  
Pansy blanched. Dumbledore's voice continued. "Please return to your dormitory, Miss Parkinson."  
  
She huffed a bit, but skulked away. Harry climbed the stairs.  
  
"Are you ready to go?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"Yes, sir. I'll se you on May 31." With that, he changed into his animal form and flew away.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Well, we know his animal can fly.what is it??? (like I said, its predictable)  
  
Thanks for all the review, but keep going! Now, I have to go write an English essay!  
  
"I like going south. Somehow, it always feels like I'm going downhill."  
  
-unolimboe H 


	11. the day it all begins

IMPORTANT!!!! I forgot to say last chapter, but Dumbledore lent Harry Gryffindor's sword. It will play a little part, so I wanted to make sure everyone knows!  
  
I would like to add, just for wuzup13579: in chapter 9, when Harry attacks the Boggart, Voldemort's suit is purple. Sparkling purple. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Harry flew to 12 Grimmauld Place, landing at almost six o'clock in the morning. He was so tired, that he forgot he wasn't supposed to ring the doorbell. He rang it, and a moment later the door opened.  
  
"Harry! You know better than that! Come in, come in!" Harry was pulled into the house, which was filled with the muffled screams of Sirius' mother. "VILE FILTH, COME TO DESTROY OUR FAMILY NAME, ITS HORRIBLE! YOU ALL DESERVE TO DIE, DISGUSTING MAGGOTS!"  
  
She was silenced, but Harry felt horrible. The painting didn't even realize that her son was dead. Either that, or she didn't care.  
  
Harry begged to sleep before they did any planning. Moody insisted that they start, but Moony calmly explained that they did indeed have a month. "Go to sleep, Harry. We'll wake you in a few hours."  
  
Harry dragged himself upstairs and fell asleep. That night, he had dreams just like the ones the year before. Dreams that he had so well defended himself from with occlumency. They all flooded back, that first night he spent back in Sirius' house.  
  
"NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sirius!" Harry watched him fall. He jumped up and chased the one who had done it, Bellatrix LeStrange. He attacked her. She attacked him in return, and it went on. Finally, she hit him. . . he fell. . . he got up again, and she was gone. Voldemort was there. Harry killed him, but he got up again.  
  
"No! I beat you!" he shot him with his gun, but Voldemort again stood up. "You should be dead!" he thrust the sword in his stomach, but Voldemort didn't even fall. Just then, Voldemort got bigger. Much bigger. He grew so large, Harry could barely see his face, so he ran. Voldemort chased him, making his scar hurt. He shot Voldemort, but he vanished and appeared in front of Harry. Voldemort leaned down, laughing at Harry.  
  
"But Harry, one cannot live unless the other dies!"  
  
Harry woke up. It was over. It had been like real life. He had felt himself fall. . .  
  
Harry stood up, and went to the bathroom and washed his face. He looked at himself in the mirror. He looked older, somehow. He had so much responsibility now, he was a teacher, a captain, a boyfriend (that felt so strange to say) and so much more. He was what the entire world was depending on.  
  
He went downstairs to search for some food. When he entered the dining, there was a surprisingly large group there. He was almost run down by about five people as he tried to push his way to the table.  
  
"Harry! Good morning!" Lupin said. He, Moody, Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and two people Harry didn't know were sitting at the table. There was no room for Harry.  
  
Moody leaned to him. "Lets make it a little quieter, shall we?" he had a funny smile on his face. He stood up. "Alright! Everybody out! If you need somewhere to eat, do it standing! I'm sorry, but we need this room! It is now off limits unless myself or Harry here say so. Is that clear?" He barked. A few people looked offended.  
  
Lupin sighed. "I'm sorry every one, you are welcome in here if the door is unlocked, but I'm sorry, I'll have to ask you to leave. You can just ignore the orders Moody gave you.  
  
There were weak smiles around the room. People seemed to be slightly frightened of Moody, but they also seemed to respect Lupin. They all left, including the two people at the table that Harry didn't know.  
  
"Err, Harry. I know this is a bit much, but it isn't always this crowded. It just so happens that almost every single person in the house wanted breakfast at the same time. Many of them are only here for a few days, we are trying to get people to stay with other people in London who are part of this, as a group of a thousand people can't all check into a hotel in the same month, it would get suspicious. You see, the Ministry was taken over, as we expected, just yesterday. This means that they have access to almost everything in the wizarding world. As many of the facilities were destroyed as possible, but until it happened, the Ministry still had a country to run."  
  
Lupin was about to continue, when Tonks elbowed him in the ribs. "Let the poor boy sit down before you brief him!" She said.  
  
Lupin smiled, but continued. "As you know, we are planning an attack. This is what we have so far. . ."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Harry spent the next month planning with Lupin and the rest of the Order. While talk of war was depressing, Harry was amazed that they all treated him like an adult, and they all took the things he said into account.  
  
They had gotten almost one thousand and one hundred recruits. They were all so amazed, they had trouble planning for that many people.  
  
While Voldemort had indeed taken over the ministry, he seemed to have very little control over it. The ministry knew that no matter what, they would be overtaken, but that didn't mean they couldn't prepare for it. A huge number of facilities were indeed destroyed, including the elevator (as far as anyone could see, it was the only way up and down the building, besides apparating) the dungeons, and as much of the department of mysteries as was humanly possible. Of course, there was so much dark, powerful magic in that department, that it was impossible to be rid of more than a few items.  
  
Harry knew what one of those items they couldn't destroy was. The veil.  
  
Harry spent quite a while thinking about Sirius, mainly because every thing in the house reminded Harry of Sirius. He often had a hard time concentrating. After a few days, though, Harry got himself under control.  
  
The plan was to storm the Ministry building in a group of fifty, with the others waited to apparate in so that Voldemort couldn't tell how many more there were. They would take out as many Death Eaters as they could, but retreat before too much damage was done to their group. Then, the next group would go in, and the first would retreat to the end of the "line" and receive medical attention in the time before they went back in. Each time they went in, more and more people would go.  
  
Harry would go in after a few groups, flying on his firebolt, wearing his invisibility cloak, away from the curses flying around the room. After the majority of the Death Eaters were gone, Harry would fly to Voldemort, and attack him. If the plan worked.  
  
Sooner then he had hoped, May 31 came. All the teachers except Professor Binns, who was a ghost, Hagrid, and Professor Trelawney apparated in to number twelve, Grimmauld Place. They were greeted as warmly as possible, but many of the residents were getting tense, and the building was holding far more people than it had ever been built to hold.  
  
No one said a word about it.  
  
At breakfast on the first of June, Dumbledore took Harry aside. "Are you ready?"  
  
Harry swallowed. His hands were sweating, but he wasn't even as nervous as he had been before his first Quiddich match. He was anxious.  
  
"Yes. I'm ready for anything. I've faced death before. And I didn't have an army."  
  
Dumbledore chuckled. "Just do your best, and don't try to be too much of a hero. You don't need to try for that."  
  
They apparated to the starting point, a large field, bewitched to keep muggles out. It was located a few miles out of London. It was also specially bewitched so that anyone who did not know a special spell could not locate it. The only people who knew the spell were the eleven hundred people coming. There were already a few hundred people there, and it was only six o clock in the morning. They planned to start at nine. Everyone knew the plan, and they were almost ready to start. They assembled into groups, each one led by a single person. Lupin led one, as did Dumbledore and the other teachers, Tonks, Moody, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and a few others Harry had met around the house, as well has a few he hadn't.  
  
At a quarter to nine o'clock, Lupin pulled Harry up a tall podium in front of the crowd.. Lupin's voice was booming through the field.  
  
"Ladies and Gentlemen, we are ready to go, and we will be leaving in exactly ten minutes. Now, Harry Potter, your leader, would like to say a few words."  
  
Lupin signaled for him to come. Harry froze. Him talk? In front of all those people? He shook his head. Lupin's voice went back to normal, and he leaned down to Harry.  
  
"Harry, you need to show them you are brave. Some might doubt you, as a sixteen year old, so you need to prove you are worthy. Now go get them ready."  
  
Harry shot him a look for not telling him to prepare anything, and stood up at the podium. He looked across the field. More people than Harry had ever seen in one place, except at the Quiddich World Cup. He gulped. "You can do this," he thought. "Show them the bravery."  
  
"Ladies and Gentlemen, today is the day. Today is the day that you show the world you can help. You show them your worth. And you be proud of yourself. Today is not the day it all ends. Today is the day it all begins."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
That's it. A couple things:  
  
Indigal: Damn you and your observational skills!!!! GAHHHHH!!!!!!!!  
  
There was more, but I really don't remember it. Please, read 


	12. The end of it all

I screwed up again. I am going to contradict myself in this chapter, I mention stuff about 'the last war.' In the last chapter, I said the war was not ending, but starting. Please ignore that little mix up. Thank you.  
  
And please, don't say anything about the stupid speeches Harry keeps giving. Its completely out of character, he is not a good talker, but I felt like writing sappy and stupid speeches. They're fun, even if they are clichéd, damn it! p.s. this is where it becomes pg thirteen for violence, though not really. Just a reminder. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
After watching the first group (that went in with one hundred)return with only seventy people, Harry began to get nervous. That is, until the group leader announced that they had taken out at lest eighty Death Eaters, and they only had a few hundred in the building.  
  
The bad news in that was that they now knew that they were being attacked, and they could call in all their reinforcements who were not in the building. They were expected to have at least a thousand supporters, if not actual Death Eaters, by the end of the battle. Hopefully, the people who had just been 'brainwashed', so to say, would realize that the were on the wrong side and retreat, knowing that Voldemort was going to be brought down.  
  
Almost three hours later, they were ready for Harry to go in. by this time, they had lost almost four hundred people, and had brought down about the same number of Death Eaters. They needed to bring up the numbers.  
  
Harry stood at the apparition point, his palms sweating, gripping his broom tightly, already half wearing his invisibility cloak, his gun and sword strapped to his belt.  
  
"Harry!" Lupin came running over to him, bloody from trying to help injured people. "Are you ready? Because you're going now!"  
  
Harry nodded, and disappeared under his cloak. He quickly apparated, and as soon as he was in the room, took flight.  
  
Harry found himself at the back of a large crowd. Green lights were flashing everywhere, hitting, blending with, or destroying red or blue flashes. Lupin must have realized they needed bigger groups, because they started coming in groups of at least two hundred. Soon, after they came in the larger groups, almost all of the Death Eaters were killed. There were bodies littered everywhere.  
  
Harry watched Voldemort the entire time. He was killing at least ten people at a time, sending huge shockwaves of magic around him. The only person sending more magic out at one time was Dumbledore, who was sending balls of light at Death Eaters, temporarily blinding them, and then letting the less experienced fighters kill them. Harry pried himself away from Dumbledore and started looking for Voldemort again.  
  
What Harry didn't notice, though, was that there were only about ten Death Eaters left among the bodies. They had formed a small circle, facing outward, trying to hold off the masses.  
  
"I am not going to kill you." Dumbledore's voice rang out, as he stepped in front of the group. He put them all in full body binds, took their wands, and snapped them in half. "Harry!" He called. "I cannot help you anymore! Voldemort is not in here any more!" He sighed and lowered his voice to almost a whisper. "But neither are you."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Harry followed Voldemort into a large room. He recognized it as the entrance room to the Department of Mysteries.  
  
"I know you are there, Potter." Voldemort said calmly. "You cannot hide from me."  
  
Harry knew he was lying. He was facing Harry, but looking to the other side of the room, his eyes flickering around, trying to spot him.  
  
Harry stayed in the air. Voldemort suddenly spun around and threw a knife at exactly where Harry was flying. Even with Harry's Quiddich reflexes, he could only move partly out of the way. The knife hit him in the left shoulder and sank deeply in. the cloak fell off partially, exposing Harry's head and torso.  
  
With Voldemort's eyes on him, he wrapped his right hand around the knife and pulled it out. Still at least ten feet in the air, he slowly let it drop. " I am stronger than you, Voldemort. Did you think I would've come here if I wasn't ready?" Harry yelled, foolishly letting his feelings and the pain take over for a moment. He didn' even know what he was saying, he just let the words pour out. "I've learned from my mistakes. And yours. You remember that wonderful prophecy? Well, it wouldn't have come true if you'd bothered to hear the entire thing. It only came true because you decided to come and destroy me. I've learned from that. Don't do things before you're ready."  
  
Voldemort smiled, making Harry's face turn red with anger. "Today, Tom Riddle, is the day your second war ends. And there will be no third."  
  
He unsheathed his sword the sword of Gryffindor, and as he was soaring down slowly, watching Voldemort's every move as he did it, anticipating his every thought.  
  
"There will be a third war," Voldemort said quietly, obviously desperately trying to stall Harry. "just wait until you get outside."  
  
It almost worked. Harry was about to pull his broom up and ask what that was about, but remembered the first rule of battle: kill first, ask questions later.  
  
He swung the sword, and cut off his head. Voldemort's body fell to the ground, and his head rolled across the room and hit the wall. Harry fell off his broom, with no hands to hold himself on, and threw up.  
  
He was completely terrified. He had just killed someone.  
  
He collapsed on his back, wincing at the pain in his left shoulder. He didn't notice that the body, head, and blood of Tom Riddle had disappeared and been replaced by water. He did notice it when it flowed around him, the cool, comforting feeling making him feel almost happy. The next thing he knew, he was in a very different place than the Department of Mysteries.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Dumbledore opened the door. Voldemort's body lay there, his head on the other side of the room.  
  
He closed his eyes and sighed. Harry was gone.  
  
"Harry was right." He said to the crowd waiting when he returned to the field. "We can never win. It is too late."  
  
A few people gasped. Lupin, who was sitting down, put his head in his hands. Tonks hair turned black, and Molly Weasley started sobbing. Her husband and two eldest sons held her, crying silently as well. Harry had been family to them.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Professor Dumbledore called Ron, Hermione, and Cho to his office. When they arrived, he looked at them silently.  
  
Finally, he spoke. "Harry was successful. But he has disappeared. We cannot locate him. We think he may be truly gone as well. All we found was his rucksack with his cloak in it, and his broom. We have been searching for him for the last week. That is why we are so late returning. I am sorry. Very sorry."  
  
Tears fell from Hermione's eyes, and Ron screwed up his face, trying not to cry. Cho, on the other hand, couldn't even start to cry. She just sat there.  
  
"No. It's not right. It can't be." She couldn't believe it. He'd told her he'd come back. He'd promised.  
  
Cho spent the next week wandering around the castle, looking for signs of Harry, or sitting under the tree by the water, just waiting for him. He never came. Finally, it was time to get over her sadness and study for exams. Cho pushed Harry as far back in her mind as she could, and focused.  
  
A small monument had been made, and was going to be placed under that very tree by the lake. But Dumbledore wouldn't allow them to put it up.  
  
"Just wait a little longer."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Harry woke up from what felt like a long sleep. He looked at his digital watch. June 28, eleven o'clock a.m.  
  
That was impossible. He couldn't have been asleep for four weeks! He looked around him, and noticed he was in a large circular room, draped with beautiful green fabric, exactly the colour of Harry's eyes. He was lying on a huge bed with a magnificent green duvet. He sat up immediately. As soon as he did, the entire room melted away and he found himself sitting on the hard floor, back in the Department of Mysteries.  
  
He took his wand out and conjured up some food, which he ate greedily.  
  
He noticed his rucksack and broom were gone, but the sword of Gryffindor was still sitting beside him. He stood up and sheathed the sword. As he did it, he realized his wound was almost completely healed.  
  
"Maybe I really have been gone for four weeks, and I got medical attention while I was gone. . ." He didn't know where he was going with that thought, so he decided to drop the thought and go home.  
  
All he knew was that he had been in another dimension for a month. He knew this because Voldemort had told him. While his head rolled across the room, a voice came from his parted lips. But it was not his own.  
  
It was a sweet voice, and it told Harry that he would rest until he was ready to emerge into his own world. Evil had been destroyed, and the destroyer was rewarded with rest. And rest he did.  
  
Harry thought about this as he flew towards the castle. (a/n don't forget, animagus!) Finally, after hours of flying, Harry could see the castle. The night sky was lit up by the light pouring from the windows of the castle, and night time melted away.  
  
He was almost home.  
  
* * * * *  
  
The final feast was prepared. The entire room was draped in black, just like it had been for Cedric. If possible, the mood was even more gloomy than it had been for Cedric, mostly because Harry was a hero.  
  
Dumbledore stood up. "I have here the list of every single man or woman who died because of Voldemort. Whether in battle, or just by Voldemort and his supporters, every one of these people needs our attention."  
  
He proceeded to read of a list very quickly. "Nancy Abbott, Charles Adder, Mercy Albright, Sirius Black. . ."  
  
There was a murmur at his name. Only a few students in the room knew what had happened to him, but none of them spoke.  
  
Dumbledore continued. "Lucius Malfoy, Adolph Macarthur. . ."  
  
He read through the rest of the two thousand names. It took almost two hours, but not a student moved.  
  
Finally, he finished. "These are not the people we mourn for." He said, causing a few heads to turn to glance at their neighbours questioningly. "Each and every one of these people got into this themselves, may it be through the Order of the Phoenix, Voldemort himself, or the great battle. There are only two we mourn for, one we have already done."  
  
Another murmur. "Harry Potter did not ask to be pulled into the Second War. Nor did he be asked to be pulled into the first. It was determined for him at birth. He joined no one, but he was still hunted."  
  
He paused. "He is gone, so that we may continue. But he is not gone in our hearts, or our memories. To Harry Potter."  
  
The whole school, except for a select group of Slytherins, raised their glasses.  
  
But there was one other who did not. Cho Chang did not rise, did not raise her glass, did not mutter Harry's name quietly. She was listening,  
  
A song; the most beautiful thing she had ever heard. It was very faint, but getting louder. Soon, other student were looking around, trying to find where it was coming from. It became so loud that every student was looking around.  
  
Suddenly, the huge wooden doors to the Great Hall opened, and a great orange bird flew in, no longer singing. It circled around the room, swooping low over the Gryffindor table, and over Cho's head. She didn't flinch. It landed in front of the teachers table.  
  
Dumbledore leaned forward, looking sternly at the Phoenix. Just then, he smiled. "Welcome back, Harry."  
  
Slowly, the Phoenix changed into a boy with messy black hair, glasses, brilliant green eyes, and a scar shaped like a lightening bolt on his forehead.  
  
"Thank you, sir, it's good to be home."  
  
Before anyone got over the shock, Harry unsheathed the sword and placed it on the table in front of Dumbledore.  
  
The entire Gryffindor table exploded with cheering. Harry was swept up in a crowd of people cheering, hugging him, and trying to lift him above them.  
  
Cho sat at the Ravenclaw table, crying. Padma Patil, beside her, gave her a poke and a puzzled look, but turned away before Cho could respond.  
  
"He promised he'd come back." She whispered.  
  
She and many other Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, and even a few Slytherins, joined the crowd of Gryffindors in the centre of the room.  
  
Finally, Harry found her. He just hugged her. He didn't let go. "I promised I'd come back."  
  
Cho smiled. "Now you'll never be able to break a promise without breaking my heart."  
  
Harry laughed, and kissed her, before they got pulled apart. "I love you, Cho!" He called through the crowd. Before Cho could answer, he was gone.  
  
She just stood there, grinning.  
  
Finally, the crowd thinned out, and Harry was able to return to the Gryffindor table, where he gave Hermione and Ron hugs.  
  
As in his first year, Harry watched as Dumbledore clapped his hands, and the black melted away, to be replaced with red and gold. "I don't care who has the most points. A Gryffindor just saved th world. That's good enough for me. Now lets eat."  
  
Cho sat with the Gryffindors that night, and stayed beside Harry the whole time.  
  
Harry spent he night laughing with his friends. He'd never been so happy in his life. He never had to think about his scar hurting, or occlumency lessons, or anything. Most importantly, no more Voldemort.  
  
The next morning, they boarded the train. Harry told Cho, Ron, and Hermione what had happened after he left, and when he was done, they talked about how Cho was allowed to do magic now, and their summers would be much better.  
  
They said their goodbyes to Ron and Hermione on the platform, and met Uncle Vernon outside. He must have noticed how confident they both looked, because he didn't say anything other than "Let's go."  
  
Uncle Vernon turned the radio on in the car, and Harry and Cho talked until a certain broadcast came on.  
  
"The leader of the terrorist group 'the Death Eaters,' a man who called himself Lord Voldemort, has been killed, along with all of his supporters."  
  
Harry and Cho spent the rest of the ride home laughing.  
  
The End  
  
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That's it. Sorry if you think it's too short, but I will be making a sequel about the next year. I've only just started writing it, and it needs a lot of work, so it will be much slower than the last. I also have the story I wrote before this one, and my Tamora Pierce fic. So, keep reading, and thaks for the wonderful reviews!  
  
By the way, I know this was the cheesiest chapter ever, but please! I wrote this down before bed every night, so I was really tires, and I'm not a very good writer. Please bear with me.  
  
Thanks, and I love you all!  
  
My friend Dennis, his mom was a dwarf, and his dad was a midget. He's the guy who poses for all the trophies.  
  
Heehee! I love it!  
  
-unolimbo, I'm sorry it's over! 


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